The best tablet: the iPad mini

The iPad mini is the best tablet to get and lets be honest, it’s way better than the full sized iPad for nearly everyone. I’d even go so far as to say that the full sized iPad is plain obscene after using the mini.

I’m embarrassed to say this because I’ve been part of the problem by not talking enough about the heft. But the truth is that we’ve all been overlooking the iPad’s weight because everything else was good about it. It’s not anyone’s fault-it’s physics and trade offs that make a 10-inch tablet weigh this much when its made of these materials with a battery life this long. It was the best tablet for most, because it was the only one to get with iOS and its amazing library of apps and great hardware. But I can’t say the heft is ok anymore. You didn’t hold it like a magazine, which is the dream of a tablet, because it weighed as much as coffee tablet book or a small telephone book. You can agree or disagree, but it’s indisputable that the mini is a better hold because you don’t have to grip it like a steering wheel or like an underpowered circus strongman. And what good is a mobile gadget if its hard to carry and hold?

After using one for just under a week now, I completely agree. When it gets a retina screen in the next iteration or two, it’ll be perfect. (via @robinsloan)